Tight matches at the top; UK, Europe, SA playoffs take shape. April 27, 2026
Overall, the contenders for the playoffs that start at the end of May look set with just a few clubs hoping to spoil the party - 2 in England’s Premiership; just 1 in the URC,; and 4 in France’s Top 14.
In the Gallagher Premiership, no change in the top 4 clubs and # 5 and 6 changed positions. #1 Northampton Saints beat #2 Bath in a nail-biting match, 41-38, that was only decided in the 81st minute by a Saints penalty. With Bath earning 2 bonus points (both sides scored 6 tries), Northampton’s lead is only 4 points with 2 games to play. #3 Tigers lost to Saracens 19-15 and #4 Exeter lost a squeaker at Gloucester 34-31 but both clubs maintained their positions over #5 Bristol who narrowed the gap to 1 point by beating Newcastle 19-52 in an 8 try win. 4 matches to play and 4 clubs to qualify for the semi-finals; Bears are very close and Saracens current form gives them a chance, albeit a slim one. Next round on May 8-10 with key matches Exeter (#4) vs. Bath (2); Bears (5) vs Saracens (6); and Tigers (3) vs. Saints (1).
The top 8 clubs in the URC did not change this weekend but late season form worked both ways on the order. Glasgow Warriors dropped to 2nd after losing 2 in a row, this time to the Stormers, 48-12 who moved into the #1 spot. The Lions beat Connacht and moved up to 3rd, nudging Leinster, who lost to Benetton 29-26 but picked up 2 bps, to 4th. Munster moved up to 5th from 6th beating Ulster 41-14, the northern Irish team dropping from 5th to 8th. Narrow wins for Cardiff (24-21 over Ospreys) and the Bulls (21-23 over the Scarlets) took them to 6th and 7th respectively. With only 2 rounds left to play, only Connacht, 3 pts back, has a realistic chance of snagging a place in the last 8, but at who’s expense? Next round on May 8 and 9.
Only 1 change in the top 8 of France’s Top 14 competition; Castres being replaced in the #8 slot after losing to Lyon, by RC Toulon who beat Aviron Bayonnais. Stade Toulousain stay top despite losing to ASM Clermont 24-27, 12 points clear of Section Paloise who also lost, 34-32 to Stade Francais Paris. Montpelier notched up another win, this time away at UBB 21-23 and stayed in 3rd while Bordeaux dropped to 6th, 1 slot behind ASMC. Leading “chasers” Racing ‘92 and RC Toulon both won handily and stay in contention for a spot in the top 6. With 4 rounds left, 2 other clubs, Stade Rochelais and Castres Olympique also have a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs. Next round on May 9.
All 3 major unions take a week off for the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup. On May 2, Leinster take on RC Toulon in Dublin and on May 3, Union Bordeaux-Begles host Bath.
All matches, live and archived, on florugby.com
The Women’s 6 Nations tournament has completed 3 of 5 rounds in front of record crowds in the UK, France and Italy. So far, current World Champions, England, are proving the punters right in their pre-competition forecasts, having won all 3 of their games thus far, against Ireland, Scotland and Wales, scoring 179 points and conceding 43. Second in the table are France, also with 3 bonus point wins but with a lower points differential. Italy lie 3rd having thumped Scotland 41-14 last weekend for their 1 win, followed by Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Next round is on May 9 but the final round on May 17 could well be the decider when England visit Paris for the last match of the tournament. Archived and live-streamed on Peacock